Centre launches skill development, education programme for Sikh community

The total expenditure on the program will be around Rs 100 crore.

On the Sikh New Year, Union Minister of Ministry of Minority Affairs, Smriti Irani launched a skill development, leadership and entrepreneurship promotion and education programme for the Sikh community, approved under the Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS) Scheme of the Ministry, through Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), a which is a statutory body established for the welfare of the Sikh community.

The programme will target 10,000 youth and women and seeks to provide modern skills training in employment-oriented job roles, promote Sikh artisans such as ‘Sikligars’ and other groups that practice traditional arts and craft forms, foster women leadership and entrepreneurship, and education for school dropouts.

The total expenditure on the programme will be around Rs 100 crore.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs will implement the program through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with societies/educational institutions nominated/registered under the DSGMC, which is already operating four colleges in Delhi University viz Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College, Sri Guru Nanak Dev Khalsa College, Mata Sundri College of Women and Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, 12 branches of Guru Harkishan Public Schools, and 1 ITI.

It has also been decided to set up Gurmukhi script learning centres in Khalsa colleges under the University of Delhi for providing basic knowledge of the language along with the development of an IT platform for dissemination of Sikh learnings and heritage among students.

The centres will also work for the preservation and propagation of the Gurmukhi script. The ministry will support in providing the required infrastructure and ancillary services, including the development of studios/smart classrooms under PM Jan Vikas Karyakram.